Combined garment and supporter



Patented Sept. (i,A 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM L. ELLEBBECX AND GEORGE A. STEINER, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH OOMBINED GARMENT AND SUPPORTER Application led February 6, 1932. Serial No. 591,382.

This invention relates to combined garments and supporters. Garments of this type have heretofore been known, it being old to combine a supporter with either a shirt or any desired type of undergarment. In general, such combined garments include a body portion, an elongated depending caudal portion adapted to be passed through the crotch, and means for securing the free end of the l0 caudal portion to the front of the garment so that it serves as a supporter.

A general object of the present invention is the provision of a combined garment of this general class wherein there is incorpo- 35 rated a novel means for securing the free end of the caudal portion, which is simple in structure, entirely reliable, and capable of ready adjustment.

Another object of the invention is th ev ,pro'

vision of apconstruction wherein all buttons, clasps, and other like conventional securing means for the caudal portion, which are liable to be lost or damaged in the course of laundering, are entirely dispensed with.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a' construction' wherein means are provided for conveniently disposlng of the caudal portion when it is desired not to utilize the same as a supporter. An additional object of the invention is the provision of such a combined shirt and supporter wherein the means for securing the free end of the caudal supporting portion at the front ofthe wearer are entirely concealed from view.

Various objects and details of the invention will become more readily apparent upon f a detailed study of the accompanying draw- 40 ing and specification, in conjunction with the appended claims. Y Referring to the drawing, which merely illustrates one form of the invention, Y Figure 1 is a view of a sport shirt made in accordance with this invention;

' Figure 2 is a view of the shirt partially in -place upon a wearer; and,

'Figure 3 is a cross section of the detail showing the caudal portion looped about the waist band.

Referring to the drawing more particularly, the numeral 2 designates generally a sport shirt, particularly suitable for wear while exercising or taking part in athletics, and by individuals who by necessity must stand up a great deal of the time. It com- 5b prises the usual body portion 4 which is closed at the front by means of buttons and is provided with the conventional sleeves 6 and, if desired, collar 8. The rear portion of the shirt is provided with a plurality of depending caudal portions 10, 12 and 14, the portions 10 and 14 being of appreciably less length than the portion 12 and bein separa ted therefrom by slits 16 and 18 as s own.

Attached to the inside of the shirt at the sides thereofis a strip of material 20 which passes through guides or sheaths"22 at either side of the garment. The strip 20 may be free to slide inthe guides 22, so as to be capable of adjustment, but if desired, the strip may be secured to these sheaths or guides by transversel lines of stitching as shown. In elther case, the portion 24 of the strip 2O which lies adjacent the rear of the garment between the guides 22 is preferably free of 'I5 the garment, as are the ends 26 and 28. Sub sequent reference to a strip attached to the inside of the garment will be understood to cover both the case in which the strip is secured against lateral movement, as herein illustrated, and the case in which the strip is free to 'slide in sheaths or guides provided. The elongated caudal portion 12 is provided adjacent its free end with a plurality of spaced, transverse tucks or ridges 30 as S5 shown, for a purpose to be described more particularly hereinafter. j

In putting on the shirt, the wearer places his arms in the sleeves in the usual manner, leaving the elongated caudal portion 12 9 hanging down freely. The wearer then ties the free ends 26 and 28 of the stri 20 as shown in Figure 2 so as to hold thls strip, and more particularly the portions 26 and 28 v in horizontal tension. The wearer then draws the portion 12 between the legs and passes it upwardly between the body and the waist band constituted by the strip 20, as shown in Figure 2, drawing the portion 12 tight until a comfortable pressure is reached. lo

It is then only necessary to loop the free end 'of caudal portion 12 over the waist band as the body and the waist band.

Due to the provision of the separate caudal appendages 10 and 14 separated from the main appendage 12 by the aforo-described slits 16 and 18, it is possible to tighten the support 12 into position without drawing the bottom of the shirt too tightly about the buttocks or the upper part of the legs.

The waist band constituted by the strip 20 extends circumferentially about the wearers waist in the. embodiment of the invention disclosed in the drawing. It is preferable that the waist band do so extend circumferentially in order to reduce tension on the upper part of the rear of the shirt at the shoulders and the back of the neck. However, it is to be understood that a circumferentially extending waist band formed of a single strip as shown may be substituted by a pair of separate strips each secured to the inside of the garment at one side thereof, in which case a portion of the rear of the garment would itself form a part of the waist band. By the term waist band, we mean any tensioned, horizontally disposed, band-like member over which the free end of the caudal portion constituting the support is intended to be looped so as to be held in position. Any desired means may be used for sup orting and tensioning the waist band, an /or attaching it to the garment.

Although we have described the caudal portion 12 as being drawn up sufficiently tightly to act as a supporter, it is of course obvious that if desired, it may be worn loosely to serve in a sense as underwear.

It will be seen that the garment made in accordance with our invention is entirely simple, adjustable, and comfortable. The supporter requires no buttons7 buckles, clasps or other conventional supporting means which not only cause difiiculties from a view of adjustment, but which also become injured inthe laundering process. While garments embodying the feature of a supporter are of great value to the individual, they have heretofore never been po ular because of the difficulties in securing t e supporter, and in adjusting the same. In garments of the types previously known, which involve the use of buckles, buttons', intricate lacings, deteriorating elastics, and other complex means for fastening the loose end of the supporter, adjustment is very difficult. It would frequently happen that the supporter, when adjusted to a point that would seem comfortable for one in a standing or sitting posture, would drag when the wearer lifts his arm, as in playing golf or tennis. This would practically requlre removing the trousers in order to make any readjustment, if it could be done at all. In a device made in accordance with our invention, the supporter can be readily adjusted in either direction by feeling easily through the trouser portion.

bviously, the invention may be applied with equal facility to an undershirt or any other desired type of garment, irrespective of whether or not it has sleeves and irrespective of the manner in which the garment is fastened. So also, the waist band may, if desired, be positioned on the outside of the garment.

We claim as our invention:

1. A combined garment and supporter including, a body portion, a waist band attached to the body portion and adapted to be tensioned about the waist, and a caudal portion formed with transverse tucks or ridges depending from the body portion, said caudal portion being adapted to be passed between the wearers legs and looped over said waist band at the transverse tucks or ridges thereby making frictional Contact therewith, to form a supporter.

2. A combined garment and supporter including, a body portion, a strip of material adapted to form a circumferentially extending waist band attached to the inside of said body portion at the sides thereof and being free thereof at front and rear, and a Caudal portion formed with a plurality of spaced transverse tucks or ridges depending from the body portion at the rear thereof and adapted to be passed between the legs of the wearer and loo ed over said strip of material lat the front o the wearer and at said tucks to form a supporter, said caudal portion being further adapted to be looped directly over said strip of material adjacent the rear of the garment when not used to form a supporter.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands WILLIAM L. ELLERBECK this 1st day of February 1932 at Salt Lake City, Utah, and GEORGE A. STETNER this 23rd day of January, 1932, at Miami Beach, Florida.

.i WILLIAML. ELLERBECK.

GEORGE STEINER. 

